Blast furnace bell



K. F. JUENGLING BLAST FURNACE BELL March 27, 1934.

Filed March 7, 1931 W My.

Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

made while the bell is in service, and whereby.

certain parts of the bell which are most subjected to deterioration and Wear, and therefore necessitate comparatively frequent replacement, can be removed and replaced at a minimum expenditure 5 of time and material. These portions of the bell can be removed and replaced without impairing or causing a discarding of the other portions, and this repair and replacement work can be effected without removing the bell as'a whole from its mounting upon the furnace top.

7, The annexed drawing and the following decription set forth in detail certain means embodying my invention, such means disclosing, however, but one of the various forms in which the principle of the invention may be applied.

' In said annexed drawing: 7 I

Figure 1 is a plan section of my improved blast furnace bell, taken in the planes indicated by the line l-1, Figure 2;

' Figure 2 is a vertical section, taken in the planes indicated by the line 2--2, Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section, upon an enlarged. scale, showing certain elements in th same relative positions shown in Figure 2.

' Referring to the annexed drawing in which the same parts are indicated by the same respective numbers inthe several views, a fragmentary por- "tion of'a bell-supporting rod 1 is shown, the lower end of this rod engaging and supporting a connector link 2 having a depending tongue 3 in which is secured a pin 4 having extended end portions respectively mounted in a hub 6 formed upon and centrally of a skeleton bell-base member 5'. This base member 5' includes spaced ribs '7 diverging outwardly from the central hub 6 and formed integrally with an annular lower peripheral portion 8 whose exterior surface engages the seat 9 of the hopper 10 when the bell is in its 'closed position. The base portion5 of the bell is completed by vertically-spaced steel plates 11 which close the spaces between the ribs 7, the 'central hub 6 and the outer annular ring 8, the respectively opposed plates 11 being bolted together, as clearly shown in Figure 2, the space be- .55 tween the opposed plates 11 being filled with inelement 8. The lower end of element 17 is sesulating material 12. Thus the complete base 5 forms a closed disc which prevents flame and much of the heat of the furnace from entering the hollow bell. This closed disc in the design shown is composed of two sections bolted together 30 to form the joint 26, Figure 1, but it could be made in any reasonable number of sections. g

The bell structure is completed by incorporating with the base 5 a superstructure consisting of a comparatively shallow removable crown element 13 and an intermediate element 17 of truncated cone formation. The elements 13 and 17 are bolted together attheir adjacent'edges and the intermediate element 17 is mounted upon the base 5 and bolted thereto, as hereinafter fully explained. 7 V g a The removable crown element 13 is formed with a central upwardly extended collar I l through which loosely passes the supporting rod 1, this collar 14 being loosely contained within an annular depending flange 16 formed upon a split hub 15 whose sections are bolted together so as frictionally to engage the supporting rod 1. This construction permits adjustment of the bell to its seat 9 upon the hopper 10 andyet obviates the entrance of dust and dirt along the rod 1 and. between the rod and the collar 14'into the hollow bell structure. Also, it permits easy removal of the bell-body crown for ingress to the bell for-repairs, as will be hereinafter explained. The bell elements 13 and 1'7 are rigidly secured together by opposed angles 18 which are bolted together and to said elements 13 and 17 respectively. The lower end of the element 17 engages V a shoulder 19 formed by a recess in the base element 8 so that the element 17 is mounted upon said base element 8 and forms a continuous smooth bell surface with the outer surface of the cured by bolts 20 to base element 8.

I provide special wear plates 21 for that part of the exterior surface of the bell which is subjected to greatest wear by reason of the furnace material falling thereon when being charged into the hopper 10. 'These wear plates 21 cover substantially the entire extent of the intermediate bell element 17 and are secured to the element 1'? by bolts 22. Although not so shown in the accompanying drawing, it will be readily understood that if it is desired to stiffen the upper or crown '105 portion of the bell, this can be done by providing interior bracing.

By reason of the construction at the top of the crown member 13 and its removability from the intermediate bell element 1'7, it is possible to enter the top of the bell for the purpose of making repairs therein. This can be done even when the furnace is operating, by reason of the insulated closure for the bottom of the hollow bell. The crown 13 is removed to permit this entry into the bell by loosening the clamp 15 and the angles 18 and sliding the clamp 15 and crown member 13 upwardly of the supporting rod 1 and temporarily supporting them in such upper position while the interior repairs are being made. It is evident that manholes closed with removable covers might be formed in the crown 13 to provide access to the interior of the bell.

The most important advantage attaching to my improved bell construction is the fact that it permits the practicable building, handling, and use of bells of larger size than are now in use or can be practicably made and used. It iswell known that present blast furnaces should be provided with larger bells but that they cannot be obtained and set up in larger sizes. Such cast bells would be too heavy in larger sizes and too large for shipping purposes. My composite bell, of course, can be practicably shipped and handled in knock-down condition, and its weight, by reason of using the steel plate and wear plate construction is much less than that of the solid cast bell of smaller size. Even the additional weight of my replaceable wear plates and of the sealing disc for the base of the bell does not bring the total weight to an amount closely approximating the weight of a solid cast bell for the same duty.

The crown section 13 is preferably formed in detachably connected half-sections, as indicated by 13', to permit repairs upon removing onehalf of the crown only. The intermediate bell structure 17 is preferably formed of a plurality of plates 17 detachably secured together by angles 17".

Inasmuch as the crown l3 and the intermediate bell structure 17 are not distorted by heat and are not integral with the annular seat rim 8, warping of the rim 8 due to a distorting effect of the upper portion of the bell on the seat is prevented.

It is evident from the accompanying drawing and the foregoing description that the'interior parts of the improved bell construction and the upper crown and intermediate elements of the bell body are protected from the furnace heat by the insulation 12 between the opposed base plates 11, which, in addition to protecting these bell parts and eliminating warping, permits interior repairs'to be made while the furnace is in-operation; that the insulation 12 and the plates 11 can be readily replaced by new plates and fresh insulation; that the wear plates 21 also can bereadily replaced; all of this repair and replacement being possible without dismounting the bell as a whole, from its position upon the furnace top.

What I claim is:

1. A. composite blast furnace bell comprising a sectional base member consisting of a skeleton frameand spaced plates with intermediate heat insulation which close the skeleton frame, a hollow upper crowned bell body member, a hollow intermediate bell body member mounted upon the base member and secured to the upper bell body member to complete the normal bell structure, and means for detachably securing together the baseand intermediate body members.

2. A composite blast furnace bell comprising a sectional base member consisting of a skeleton frame and spaced plates with intermediate heat insulation which close the skeleton frame, a hollow upper crowned bell body member, a hollow intermediate bell body member mounted upon the base member and secured to the upper bell body member to complete the normal bell structure, wear plates detachably secured to and located exteriorly of the intermediate body member, and means for detachably securing together the base and intermediate body members.

3. A composite blast furnace bell comprising a sectional base member consisting of a skeleton frame and spaced plates with intermediate heat insulation which close the skeleton frame, a hollow upper crowned bell body member, a hollow intermediate bell sectional body member mounted upon the base member and secured to the upper bell body member to complete the normal bell structure, means for securing together the respectively adjacent sections of the intermediate body member, wear plates detachably secured to and located exteriorly of the intermediate body member, and means for detachablysecuring together the base and intermediate body members.

4. In combination with a supporting rod, a composite blast furnace bell comprising a closed base member depending from the rod and free to adjust itself angularly relative thereto, a hollow crowned upper bell body member having an upwardly extended central collar surrounding the supporting rod, a clamp detachably secured to the supporting rod and having a depending flange loosely engaging the crowned surface exteriorly of said collar, a hollow intermediate bell body member mounted upon the base member and detachably secured to the upper bell body member, and means for detachably securing together the base and intermediate body members.

5. In combination with a supporting rod, a composite blast furnace bell comprising a sectional base member depending from the rod and free to adjust itself angularly relative thereto, the base member consisting of a skeleton frame and spaced upper and lower plates secured to said frame and intermediate heat insulation between the plates to close the skeleton frame, a hollow crowned upper bell body member having an upwardly extended central collar surrounding the supporting rod, a clamp detachably secured to the supporting rod above said collar and having a depending flange loosely engaging the crowned surface exteriorly of said collar, a hollow intermediate bell body member mounted upon the base member and detachably secured to the upper bell body member, wear plates detachably secured to the intermediate body member exteriorly of the latter, and means for detachably securing together the base and intermediate body members.

6. A composite blast furnace bell comprising a closed base member, and a hollow upperbell body member mounted upon the base member and detachably secured thereto and consisting of an intermediate body member and a crown member formed of detachably connected sections.

'7. A composite blast furnace bell comprising a closed base member, and a hollow upper bell body member mounted upon the base member and detachably secured thereto and consisting of an intermediate wear member and an upper crowned member detachably secured to the wear member.

8. A composite blast furnace bell comprising a sectional closed base member, a hollow upper crowned bell body member, a hollow intermediate sectional bell body member mounted upon the base member and detachably secured to the upper bell body member, means for securing together the respectively adjacent sections of the intermediate body member, and means for detachably securing together the base and intermediate body member.

9. A closed base member for blast furnacebells comprising a hollow skeleton frame having an annular hopper-seat engaging portion, verticallyspaced closure members secured to said frame interiorly of said annular portion, and insulating material between the closure members.

10. A closed base member for blast furnace bells comprising a sectional skeleton frame having an annular hopper-seat engaging portion and pro- 

